Police Respond To Bomb Scares In New Haven

NEW HAVEN — Police responded to three consecutive reports of possible bombs Wednesday, but none turned out to be a true emergency.

The first bomb scare happened about 10:30 a.m., when a 911 caller threatened to blow up a courthouse. The person was not specific about which courthouse was being targeted.

Police officers and firefighters responded to several downtown courthouses, police spokesman David Hartman said, and searched adjacent areas for anything that looked out of place. State troopers and representatives of the state fire marshal's office also responded.

Nothing was found, he said.

The courthouses were not evacuated, and court proceedings were not affected, he said.

The second incident happened as police were clearing the downtown scenes, Hartman said. A call came in about a package on Howard Avenue, across from Yale-New Haven Hospital, that looked suspicious, he said. Hospital officials noticed the box on an adjacent sidewalk.

The New Haven Police Department Bomb Squad responded and examined the item, which turned out to be a small, fireproof safe. It was removed, even though it posed no danger, Hartman said.

There was no evacuation, and pedestrian and car traffic was temporarily rerouted, he said. The second investigation took minutes, he said.

Then, at about 1 p.m., the bomb squad was called to State Street between Wall and George streets to investigate a duffel bag left on the street. The bag contained clothing, Hartman said. No threats were made and nothing dangerous was found. The investigation took about a half hour.